WEBVTT
WILL HAVE MUCH MORE COMING UP
ON THE CHARLOTTE SHOOTING LATER
ON IN THIS NEWSCAST.
JACKSON IS ONE OF A DOZEN CITIES
GETTING PART OF A $67 MILLION
GRANT TO HELP REDUCE VIOLENCE IN
THE CITY.
CHIEF LEE VANCE SHARED THE STAGE
WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA
LYNCH THIS MORNING FOR THE
ANNOUNCEMENT.
>> TOGETHER, THESE GRANTS WILL
HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY, ENSURE
ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT ALSO DELIVER
LONG-DELAYED JUSTICE.
TAMMY: THIS IS PART OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'S VIOLENCE
REDUCTION NETWORK.
OTHER CITIES INCLUDE NASHVILLE,

Jackson has been included in a federal program that provides resources and funding to reduce violence.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the expansion of the Justice Department’s Violence Reduction Network to include Jackson and Nashville during a conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance and Mayor Tony Yarber are attending the conference.

Advertisement

The VRN, which was established two years ago, is a program designed to leverage existing resources and provide a hands-on approach to reduce violence in cities that have violence levels that exceed the national average.

"Since launching the Violence Reduction Network with five cities in 2014, we have witnessed extraordinary activity and unprecedented collaboration throughout the VRN,” Lynch said in a news release. “Cooperation is the hallmark of the Violence Reduction Network, and the work we have done together reminds us that we are not helpless -- or hopeless -- in the face of violence. It makes clear that by bridging divides and building trust, we can shape the direction of our communities."

Lynch also announced more than $54 million in grants to law enforcement agencies, research institutions, states, cities, tribes and other local government organizations to support body-worn camera programs and address untested sexual assault kits. Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason announced an additional $13.6 million to help develop innovative, data-driven approaches to crime, reduce and more effectively prosecute gun crimes and increase public safety through community-based partnerships.

"We recognize that federal funding is only part of the solution," said Assistant Attorney General Mason. "Success in reducing violence ultimately depends on our ability to work together, to marshal existing resources, and to engage all stakeholders in the work of protecting communities."

Fifteen cities, including Chicago, Little Rock and New Orleans, are members of the VRN.